New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-27
THE EXPULSION or MAJOR PIRCE.

SOME DIspLEAsURE But 40 SURPRISE N RHODE
ISLAND AT TIE ACTION OF TIE HOUSE OF REP
REsENTATIvEs.
PROVIDENCE, r. l., Jan. 2G.-Nobody in Rhode
Island surprised that the House of Representatives
e. Washington should have voted turn Major Will
lam A. Pirce out of the seat Congress to which he
wa. elected years ago last fall, because 10 Was
general unders oOd that IL was down In the books OF
the DemOc -atic majority bnt 1t was hardly expected
ey wOult do Il roon. Rhode Islanders Wit
ing FROM Washington, even late a last Sunday, In
answer ,he AZ esom whether it wou probably DO
necessary TO have elecuon in the Hid District
before March t. expressed the opinion tn It the Demo-
would allow Major Prce TO retain has seat untu
of the la-t days of the session and then adopt
the resolution reported by the orty OF the Commit
tee ON Elections. The only explanation that can no
given hc:e of he prompt action OF be House IN THIS
Ease is Democratic hope that Dir. Page, VINO has
made the contest against Major Pirce, may DO
chosen aud be ALLOW ed to reimburse hms II for the
expenses he has incurred by drawing salary for tho
whole Congressional TERM although he Will serve only
a few days.
There never was any real ground for the contest
against Major Prce The contest IN 1854 was close
one the Republicans carrying the district by only
sixteen majority, according to the corrected returns,
but the majority they did have Was an honest one IL
WAS not obtained by bribery, fraud intimidation.
anc it woud have been larger but for the anfar and
unscrupulously conducted opposition of the Mug
wump 7" Providence 10 rna.' Major Prce had been
for many years one OF the haroest workers III the
Republican party. Ho had always beea true when
others Lad wavered He was known as The Old War
Horse" For several years he had been chairman Of
he State Committee had been delegate to National Con-
ventous had beea ready to sacrfc- personal
interest for that Of the party. He had no patience
with boilers and had made soInc enemies by his plain
speaking To and of them, and because he not pol
ished aanner speech. and not q worshipper OF
the blue blood of tn old families who try 10 set up
little aristocracy of birth and wealth in Rhode Island,
there considerable outspOken opposition to his
nomination for Congress and to his election after his
placed upon the ticket The voting
close, but Major Plrce came out with majority
both of his competitors. II the House OF hepresent
tves az Washington had been Republican, or il Rhode
tsla Democrata hau cd q N he A
cded IpOn 10. merits none would have been made,
10" by no known construction OF law could Page,
Pirce- leading Competitor, be considered elected.
But a contest was begun and a subcommittee made
investigation. The grounds of the contest al
legged bribery and intimidation, the improper use OF
colored ballots and the non-se OF by voters
The accusation OF bribery was not sustained by .
single piece OF testimony that worthy OF creence
The in tn, respect utterl, broke do En. There
intimidation MANY OF the manufacturers Of
tho oi trct who were Republicans did not vote for
Major Proc and there at a single polling place
signs OF attemI the part OF employers to In
huenoe their to their votes In some instances
factory wagons were used as they frequently are, to
carry voters to the polls but when the men got
there they voted they pleased Ii is true that tho
Republican, Congressional ballots were printed
tinted paper. but there nothing in the elect laws
OF Rhode Island that orbids it, and it not shown
that tinted paper used " til dish nest or i'm
proper motive. 1t had been the custom TO ase such
paper and objection had been raised. Lastly,
the law of Rhode Island docs allow the voter
close his ballot in an envelope, and none OF the cleo
tors availed themselves OF the privilege in ss4 But
there was no evidence that anybody desired to make
secret OF how he voIed or prevented from using
enve pc il he had wished to.
In short the against Major Pirces election
broke down so completely that even the Democratic
majority of the Committee Elections could not dis
pose all OF his sixteen majority after taking adj
vantage every techncaty that in their ingenuity
they could invent and they reached the conclusion
that, although they were unable to discover any
trands tnere must have enough at least to dis
pose OF Major Pirce's small lining majority, and
that therefore they would DO justified in turning. him
out.
For various Major Prce has not as many
political friends in Rhode Island to-day rs he had NO
years ago, but tho people OF this State like tair
play. aud, largely irrespective of their party prefer.
enoes, hoped that the Democrats in Congress would
not be guilty of the outrage If turning Major Pirce
out of the place to which he was fairly elected.